There’s a lot of strong anti-corporate feeling about at the moment – UK Uncut and it’s cousin US Uncut are good examples. I’ve been working with some big corporates, clarifying the “social purpose” of the business – and I keep hitting upon an anti-corporate instinct. Of course, there are many examples of corporate wrong-doing – past and present – but there’s an anti-business impulse in culture that goes deeper than this.
Anti-corporate archetypes are strongly embedded in popular culture. The shady, inhuman, unaccountable MegaCorp is a universal enemy, featuring in everything from Charlie’s Angles and the A-Team to Superman, Terminator and Avatar. Corporates reaching a certain scale will trigger this unconscious archetype.
All of this is probably, on balance, a good thing. We should maintain a healthy suspicion of corporates, just as we do of governments. However, it shouldn’t obscure the positive role a business can play in society. I’m going to write a post on “the case for business”, focusing on the developing world, to show this. In the meantime, here’s some good old fashioned logo-subvertising that I’ve dug up recently.
Logo images found at IndyMedia, Android Massacre, Logo Design Love, Red Staple Chronicles, Friends Of Reason, Know More Media, Worth1000, Snippets & Slappits, AlexaMCG, Not My Tribe, Creative Greenius,
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I’d be interested in how views towards corporates differs in different countries. In the UK I think there’s a tendency to reflexively dislike (or at least be wary of) anything that becomes overwhelmingly successful. But in the US it’s more likely to be celebrated.
When it comes to the food industry, a lot of environmental groups have been keen to play up the negative aspects yet not offer any viable solutions. The linked issues of climate change, GM crops and feeding the world have forced some to reassess their stances.
Comment by Ben March 5, 2011 @ 3:21 pm